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Why Does Seymour Kill Himself

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Seymour kills himself as a victim of his own inability to reconnect to real society after his wartime experience. Right from the get go, when Muriel's mother expresses that “there's a very great chance... that Seymour may completely lose control of himself” (Salinger 2), we see how people surrounding Seymour are concerned for his mental health due to a host of his previous erratic behaviors. These include “funny business with the trees [when driving]”, “that business with the window [he broke it]”, and the “horrible things he said to Granny about her plans for passing away” (Salinger 2), which when compounded, clearly demonstrates Seymour’s struggle to reconnect with society. His disconnection is also emphasized when he kisses Sybil’s foot

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